PUNE, Oct 29: The Directorate of Defence Estates (DDE), Southern Command has rapped the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) for allocating Rs 20 lakh for the renovation of the office of the cantonment executive officer and the board room.The DDE has directed the cantonment board to reduce the expenditure on the renovation to the bare minimum commensurating with the proper working conditions. Cantonment executive officer J Sharma in his note clarified that the board had prepared a proposal for bringing up a proper board room and also to renovate and sound proof the CEO's room. All these items required in that respect were considered by the interior designer including the panelling of the existing walls of both the rooms and also provision of carpets in addition to making the both the rooms air-conditioned. The proposal also included shifting the members room.The board at its general body meeting also decided to conduct a site inspection following an application sent by Bapu Ganla, president of the Siddhartha Mofat Vachnalaya for composition of the unauthorised construction carried out at the property located at survey number 390/2501-A at General Thimayya Road.The board had issued a notice to under Section 185 of the Cantonments Act, 1924 for carrying out the unauthorised construction. The building plans (revised) were sanctioned on April 18, 1994 for building comprising basement, ground floor, and partly first floor for the library. The cantonment officials maintained that the deviations were carried out after the lapse of sanction. There appears to be more of commercial activities proposed in the building - though not shown on the plan - than the functioning of the library. The site was originally leased only for the library.
